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French grammar Part of Chapter 14

CEFR A2-B1

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Test yourself (20 questions)

Y and En in French: When to Use Each Pronoun, with Examples

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 12 October 2026

Y and replace a whole phrase with one syllable. À triggers ; triggers . Both sit before the verb, like the other object pronouns.

y (à + a thing, or a place)en (de, some, how many)What do the colours mean?
ReplacesExampleEnglish
à + a thing .I think about it.
a place .I'm going there.
+ a thing .I'm talking about it.
some .I want some.
a quantity .I have three of them.

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Y: à + a thing or a place

stands in for + a thing, or for a place (after , , , and the like). As a place, it means there.

à Paris becomes y, before the verb
  • . . - I'm going to the bank. I'm going there.
  • . . - The keys are on the table. They're there.
Two panels. In the first, a man with a moustache walks along the grass towards a yellow house, a dashed arrow pointing at its door. In the second, the same house is cut away to show him inside, waving, beside a lamp.
  1. .
  2. .

Going to the house: J’y vais (I’m going there). Inside it: J’y suis (I’m there). Both times y replaces à la maison.

The use learners forget is the thing after a verb that takes :

Verb with àWith yEnglish
.I often think about it.
.He answers it.
.She's interested in it.
.We're playing it tonight.

En: de + a thing, some, and how many

en (de + a thing; some; a number)What do the colours mean?

does three jobs, all built on .

1. + a thing, after a verb that takes :

  • . . - I'm talking about my trip. I'm talking about it.
  • . . - She needs money. She needs some.

2. Some: it replaces a partitive (, , ):

  • ? , . - Do you want some coffee? Yes, I want some.
A table with a pink scalloped tablecloth, set with a loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese with holes, a jug of water, a bottle of orange juice, a bowl of fruit and a cake with a cherry on top, several of them smiling.

Some bread, some cheese, some water, some juice, some fruit, some cake. Ask Tu en veux ? (Do you want some?) about any of them.

3. How many: the number or quantity word stays at the end; marks what is counted.

Full sentenceWith enEnglish
. .I have three of them.
. .She has two.
. .He has little (of it).

English can say I have three; French needs the : , never on its own.

The commonest of all is , there is some: . - There are three of them. . - There isn't any.

Where y and en go

y (à + a thing, or a place)en (de, some, how many)What do the colours mean?

Like the other object pronouns, and go before the conjugated verb, before in the , and before an infinitive.

Subject
(ne)
Pronoun
Verb
Rest
J’
empty
empty
’
  • . - We talked about it yesterday.
  • . - I'm not going there.
  • . - I'm going to go there tomorrow.
  • . - You can take some.

Commands: vas-y, prends-en

In a positive command, and follow the verb with a hyphen. The form of an -er verb gets its s back, said as a z, so two vowels do not collide.

Va ! (Go!) becomes Vas-y ! (Go on!)
  • ! - Go on! (and Go there!)
  • - ! - Eat some!
  • - ! - Take some! ( already has its s)

In a negative command the pronoun goes back in front, and the extra s disappears:

  • ! - Don't go there!
  • ! - Don't eat any!

Y and en with other pronouns

When pronouns stack, and come last, and comes after .

Subject
me / te
le / la
y
en
Verb
’
empty
empty
empty
l’
empty
empty
empty
  • . - He gives me some.
  • . - I'm taking him there.
  • . - There is some. (the y of y a, then )
  • - ! - Give me some!

Common mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
. . goes before the verb
. . à: y
. .the number needs
- ! !the s comes back before y
. .a place is y

What to do next

  1. Answer ? with , and as ? with .
  2. Say about three things in your kitchen.
  3. Read French object pronouns for the full order.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/7

Which pronoun would stand in for part of each sentence: y or en?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Put the words in order

0/4

Put the words in order.

  1. I'm going there tomorrow.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. I have three of them.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. There isn't any.

    Your sentence is empty.

  4. I'm going to go there.

    Your sentence is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake English speakers make.

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose y or en.

  1. Tu vas à la banque ? Oui, j' vais.

  2. Tu as des frères ? Oui, j' ai deux.

  3. Tu penses à ton examen ? Oui, j' pense.

  4. Tu as parlé du problème ? Oui, j' ai parlé.

  5. Il y a du lait ? Oui, il y a.

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use y and when do you use in French?
Y replaces à + a thing or a place: becomes (I think about it), becomes (I'm going there). replaces + a thing, and also partitives and quantities: becomes (I want some), becomes (I have three of them). The shortcut: à triggers y, triggers .
Why does become - in the imperative?
In a positive command the pronoun follows the verb with a hyphen, and the form of an -er verb gets its s back before y and , said as a z: becomes - (eat some), becomes (go on). It happens only before y and : - keeps no s.
Can y and replace people in French?
Not in careful French. For a person, use a stressed pronoun after the preposition: (I think about him), (I'm talking about her). You will hear for people in casual speech. With numbers, though, is normal even for people: becomes (I have two).
What does a mean in French?
It means 'there is some' or 'there are some': y a (there is) with standing in for the thing. as ? , a (yes, there is some). A number goes at the end: a (there are three of them). In the negative: a (there isn't any).
What order do y and go in when used with other pronouns?
They come last, and comes after y: me / / / / , then / / , then / , then y, then . So (he gives me some) and a (there are some). In a positive command they still close the queue: - (give me some).